I was pretty sure the 3208 had SAE #2 and figured 3116 would have too since they were in the same type of trucks. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

i am working on a 3116 swap. so far it is going well. i did have to go through the fire wall, but i dont believe i am going to have to extend the front end. there are definate modifications, but not too bad. i am going to use the allison automatic behind the cat that came out of the gmc truck originally. i did also have to put in a 3 inch body lift kit. for anybody interested i have made a blog that i am posting pictures and comments on. Cat Engine Swap - Jeff Waite you have to put it in the address bar. google or yahoo wont pull it up.

 

i was considering putting a 3116 or dt466 swap in my f250, which one puts out more power, mileage, and reliability? any help i could get would be greatly appreciated!

 

the dt466 will most likely put out more horsepower, but i doubt that it will match the torque of a caterpillar. i would go with the cat engine, with a few things in mind. the cat is going to be a better engine, with better torque. as for the fuel mileage i am not sure. i have not completed my swap yet. i did a mistake that was my own fault, so it is still in the works. i would guess the cat will get better fuel mileage. dont get me wrong, the dt466 is a very good engine, but cat's are the best. the f250 will be pretty much the same as my 350. you will have to cut through the firewall, and do a 3 inch body lift to give you the much needed room for this.
the other thing you will need to keep in mind, due to the length of either engine, you will have to run electric fans on the outside of the radiator. pushing the air through instead of pulling it. i have had a lot of fun with this so far and look forward very much to having it running on the road.

 

haha by power, i meant torque anyways. i read your yahoo blog and seen that you needed to rebuild it after you put it in. if it wasnt for that, how much would it have costed you to get an engine/transmission and all the necessary parts to complete it? i havent been able to find much info on medium duty diesel swaps into pickup trucks, but from what i can tell the caterpillar is looking like the better choice!

 

i was very fortunate to have gotten the engine and transmission for free. i have looked around some and you should be able to pick a good used running 3116 for about 3 grand. the transmission i am not sure about. again i was very fortunate to have gotten an allison automatic. i would think you could get a standard for about maybe 1500, but that is strictly a guess. without the cost of my goof and the engine, the swap has cost me about 4 grand. i have not figured it up completely.
the big thing is that to me the cost is important, yes, but it will be worth it in the long run. when it is completed i will have a truck that i can pull anything i want, out pull any body, and most likely last me the rest of my life.....lol

 

depending on how much i can pick up the motor and transmission for, 4 grand sounds very do-able! 4 grand aint nothing in the diesel world haha. and thats why i was looking into the cat conversion, for the fact that they are known for power and being able to pull anything ya hook up to would be nice. one of the concerns i have about the 3116 is how do they start in the winter months? winter where i live is 6 months long and is usually anywhere from -10 to 30 degrees

 

i do live in georgia, and the winters are usually mild. but even on mornings when the temp was down below freezing, i have never had any trouble starting that engine. they do have an air intake heater on them, and that has always been enough for here. some of the 3116's do also have a block heater, so i would look for that just in case. but in my honest opinion with the experience i have had, i really dont think you will have any trouble with it. in very cold maybe let the intake heater cycle a few times.

 

do keep in mind that i have done probably 90% of the work myself

 

i know a few guys around here with cummins and from what they say their trucks start pretty easy in the winter, i wasnt sure what the cat had for an engine heater but it sounds like it should do fine

 

haha yeah, i will be doing all the work myself, the bill for all the parts, engine and trans will hurt enough as it is

 

i really think that you wont have any trouble. and doing most the work yourself does help alot. the guys at the cat place near hear thought i was totally nuts for doing this at first. now they now i can so i think they are more excited to see this finished than i am....lol

 

haha yeahh i bet! youll have a very unique truck thats for sure. do ya think if i found a school bus with a cat/allison combo, i could use most of the parts off of it to cut down on the price of having to buy parts?

 

Wow....that's one of them Cat lover's statements("cats are the best"). Dont know how a 6.6 litre is making more torque than a 7.6 litre. In argument for the other direction, the DT466 is cheaper to buy(I see many for $1500), tons of aftermarket performance parts to make any power within your budget, can rev higher, 26 head bolts can keep 1000hp under wraps, and readily available at most truck wrecking yards. Nothing against a 3116, they just need more fuel and a better turbo to be any fun.
Either way, they both will be a ton of work to get in a pickup.

 

that would work, yes. the truck i got mine out of was a gmc topkick. as for most of the parts, you will use more from your ford truck than the bus. you will find that in the bus they had room to do anything they wanted, and in the ford not so. the good side is that a diesel radiator from a ford will be enough. depending on the year model of the ford truck an intercooler will be fun. the model ford i have, a '94, did not come with an intercooler originally. so i having to have one made for mine to go in a very tight place on the inside of the radiator on the drivers side. it will be about 22 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 3 inches thick. that all the room i have. but it will work. i am having a radiator company make it for me, because of cost. they can make it for about 500 bucks vs. 1500 for an aluminum intercooler. a radiator will work, just air going through instead of water.
i had to custom make the motor mounts for the ford truck, i had a welder friend of mine help with that. you will find it much easier to make a front motor mount to go all the way across the front instead of trying to go to the side. i used a 4 x 2, 1/4 inch thick steel tube. it worked very well. to make the rear mounts i used a 3/8 thick angle iron, and cut it to fit the frame of the truck. the transmission bolts to the rear of the engine with no mounts at all.